Jeep’s iconic off-roader is going electric

The Jeep Wrangler is going electric with its next generation.

The news was revealed in the United Auto Workers (UAW) union’s new agreement with Stellantis, published on Action Network.

The next-generation Wrangler, referred to as the J70, is due in 2028 and will include both an electric version and what Stellantis is referring to as a Range Extender Paradigm Breaker (REPB). It’s unclear if a more traditional combustion-powered version will continue.

The REPB powertrain, also confirmed for the Ram 1500, has yet to be detailed, but judging by the name it will feature a combination of both electric motor(s) and a combustion engine.

Before the new J70-series launches in 2028, the current Wrangler will get an upgraded plug-in hybrid system in 2025 along with the related Gladiator ute.

Jeep has offered a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version of its current JL Wrangler since 2021, and last year it was the best-selling PHEV in the US.

It has also shown electric Wrangler concepts at successive Easter Jeep Safaris – the Magneto, Magneto 2.0, and Magneto 3.0 – all featuring a manual transmission.

Buyers after a rugged, electric off-roader will have two options at Jeep showrooms, with the Wrangler EV to be preceded by the boxy Recon. It’s set to enter production in 2024, and share its STLA Large underpinnings with the more luxurious, tarmac-focused Wagoneer S.

In addition to confirming the upcoming electric Wrangler, the UAW document also reveals a raft of other Jeep product news, plus some for the Dodge and Ram brands.

One of the UAW’s biggest victories was securing the future of the idled Belvidere, Illinois plant, which until earlier this year produced the ageing Jeep Cherokee.

Stellantis is investing US$1.5 billion (A$2.3bn) in Belvidere and will retool it to produce “all new midsize trucks” in 2027 with projected annual volumes of 80,000 to 100,000.

This could be a new pickup to slot in under the Ram 1500, potentially wearing the Dakota nameplate. Those projected volumes are less than half what the Toyota Tacoma sold last year in the US, but around what the Chevrolet Colorado managed.

It will also be joined by a new battery plant.

The current Grand Cherokee will get a facelift in 2024 and continue until 2027 in two-row (WL 74) guise and 2028 in three-row (WL 25) guise.

Come 2027, a new Grand Cherokee – codenamed JGU – will arrive with both combustion and electric power.

The Ram 1500-derived Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer will gain REPB versions in 2025, and full electric versions in 2027, the latter coinciding with a mid-life refresh.

Finally, the Dodge Durango – a large, three-row unibody SUV based on the previous WK2 Grand Cherokee – will continue until 2025. It’ll be replaced in 2026 by a new generation that will offer both combustion and electric power.

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